39 / 262
authority of and published by the Stationery Office or
the Official Publications Office.
6.
Prima facie
evidence of any act adopted by an
institution of the European Communities, any judg-
ment or order of the European Court, any document in
the custody of an institution of the European Com-
munities, or any entry in or extract from such a docu-
ment, may be given in all courts and in all legal pro-
ceedings—
(a) by the production of a copy certified by an official
of that institution; and any document purporting
to be such a copy shall be received in evidence
without proof of the official position or handwrit-
ing of the person signing the certificate;
(b) where the document is in the custody of a Minister
of State, by the production of a copy certified on
behalf of the Minister to be true by an officer of
the Minister generally or specially authorised in
that behalf; and any document purporting to be
such a copy shall be received in evidence without
proof of the official position or handwriting of the
person signing the certificate, or of his authority to
do so, or of the document being in the custody of
the Minister;
(c) by the production of a copy printed under the
superintendence or authority of and published by
the Stationery Office or the Official Publications
Office.
7.
Prima facie
evidence of any act adopted by an
institution of the European Communities which is pub-
lished in the Official Journal may be given in all courts
and in all legal proceedings by the production of a
copy of the Official Journal purporting to contain such
act.
8. Every copy of any of the Treaties, any act adopted
by an institution of the European Communities, any
judgment or order of the European Court, any docu-
ment in the custody of an institution of the European
Commnities, or any entry in or extract from such a
document, which purports to be published by the
Statonery Office or by the Official Publications Office
or to be published by the authority of the Stationery
Office or the Official Publications Office shall, until the
contrary is proved, be presumed to have been printed
under the superintendence and authority of and to have
been published by the Stationery Office or by the
Official Publications Office, as the case may be.
Given under my Official Seal, this 29th day of Decem-
ber, 1972.
Desmond O'Malley,
Minister for Justice
(Obtainable from Government Publications Sales
Office, Dublin 1 for 2Jp plus postage.)
European Communities (Aliens)
Regulations, 1972
S.I. No. 333/1972
These Regulations confer rights of entry and residence
on certain categories of persons who are nationals of
member States of the European Communities. They are
based on Directives EEC 64/220, EEC 64/221 and
EEC 68/360 issued by the Council of the Communities
but take account of the special transitional provision in
regard to free movement of workers that has been made
in favour of this country in the Treaty of Accession to
the Communities. These Regulations are obtainable
from the Government Publications Sale Office, Dublin
1, for 5p plus postage.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITI ES REGULATIONS
S.I. No. 334/1972
The effect of these Regulations is to make certain
changes in Customs procedures necessitated by mem-
bership of the European Communities.
The Regulations come into operation on the 1st
January 1973.
Published by the Stationery Office, Dublin. 5p.
EUROPEAN COMMUNI T I ES
REGULATIONS 1972
S.I. No. 329 of 1972
These Regulations are designed to enable payments to
be made from the Central Fund which are necessitated
by Ireland's membership of the European Communities
and to provide for receipt of moneys arising out of
membership.
Published by the Stationery Office, Dublin, 2p.
The Offences Against the State
(Amendment) Act, 1972
By SENATOR MARY T. W. ROBINSON, Reid Professor of Law, Trinity College, Dublin
This Act, one of the most controversial pieces of
legislation in recent years, had a swift passage through
both Houses of the Oireachtas because of the influence
of external factors. Normally the Bill would have taken
some weeks or perhaps months to pass through the
committee and report stages, during which amend-
ments would have been put forward and argued and
there would have been time for the consideration of
these amendments at the next stage. The passage of the
Bill through the Dail is too well known to merit
description here but it may be interesting to give a
brief account of the debate in the Senate. Senators
were informed by telegram at 8.00 a.m. on the morning
of Saturday 2nd December 1972 that the Cathaoirleach
had summoned Seanad Eireann under the powers con-
ferred on him by standing order 18(2) "to consider the
38